Space Oddity

First off: Space Oddity was my first David Bowie album. I initially had no idea whether or not I'd like him. In fact: I liked it. It was quite good. This album has its high points and, well, a couple low points. Actually - none of them are nearly as low as they might have been. Yeah...this is a good record. It's not nearly good as the next David Bowie album I'd get. But it's still good.

Space Oddity: If you asked me why David Bowie decided to write this title track - I couldn't tell you. It's weird. And the lyrical content isn't something that one typically finds in folk songs, not then or now. I mean, a folk song about an astronaut launching into space? That's something you won't hear everyday. But he does such a good job of pulling it off that I can't help but like it! A classic of rock it is. One thing I don't understand, however, is why they made this the title track. I mean, maybe it was just because it's the first track, but I wouldn't have made this the title track. It really doesn't do too good of a job setting the tone for the rest of the album. No matter though!

Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed: I've got a friend, Nikki, who absolutely loves this song. I can understand why she'd be fascinated with it. The fascination just isn't all there for me. Actually - some of the lyrics in this song are downright disturbing. They seem rather drug-influenced to me. I generally won't skip this track, though!

Don't Sit Down: ...Okay, what's this now? Answer: I'm not going to answer that question.

Letter to Hermione: It reminds me of that one time I wrote a story called Letter to Hermione and I'd never even heard of this song before. True story. It's not so much of a song as it is a musical piece. It's alright, though.

Cygnet Committee: This! I was immediately taken by this song when I first heard it. Something within me told me: "This is an important song." I could tell that there was something important about this song that set it apart from the other ones. It's a very long song. Nine minutes, I think? That probably classifies it as prog. Yeah. Prog. Awesome prog! Somehow, the ending chant of "I want to live!" is inspiring. This song doesn't make much sense to me. But it's quite good.

Janine: I don't know, I haven't made my mind up fully about this song. It's no great work of art like some of the songs on this record (I'm thinking about Space Oddity and Cygnet Committee specifically, as well as a song yet to come...). It's not terrible, though. None of the songs on this album really are, come to think of it. Eh, I like it.

An Occasional Dream: It's named well, as it has sort of a dreamy quality to it. At least, it reminds me of my dreams. (Maybe that's not a good thing...) As far as I know, it was written for Hermione. (Yes, like Letter to Hermione. She's a real person. Or so Nikki told me.)

Wild-Eyed Boy from Freecloud: Here's David Bowie doing a dramatic, theatrical-type song. I suppose the effect works. It actually sounds like it's from a movie or something. Maybe someone did use it in a movie at some point! Hmm...

God Knows I'm Good: Another good song. It doesn't stand out that much to me, really. But I do enjoy it.

Memory of a Free Festival: If you start an album off well, you're obligated to end it off well. Which is true for this album. Memory of a Free Festival is one of this album's highlights to me. It used to not be too special for me. Except then, well, let's just say I now have a very nostalgic memory related to this song. It ends making me think that all is right with the world. There we have it.

Best tracks: Space Oddity, Cygnet Committee, and Memory of a Free Festival.

Send all questions and comments to: pippin_sparks@rocketmail.com

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